In a notable development highlighting Alibaba Cloud’s prowess in the realm of digital technology and intelligence, the company has been named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Public Cloud Platforms Q4 2024 report. This marks a significant milestone for Alibaba Cloud, as it is the first time the company has received such recognition among major public cloud platform providers. The report attributes this accolade to Alibaba Cloud’s expansive global footprint, robust cloud and AI offerings, and its strategic vision. Furthermore, Alibaba Cloud achieved impressive scores, notably securing the second-highest positions in both the current offering and strategy categories out of the nine global vendors evaluated.
AI Innovation and Serverless Technology
Commitment to AI Advancements
Forrester’s report lauded Alibaba Cloud’s remarkable capabilities in AI innovation, particularly emphasizing its homegrown AI models. The diversity in foundational models and the innovations in model-as-a-service (MaaS) have positioned Alibaba Cloud as a leader in maintaining a considerable AI model repository within China. These foundational models underpin a wide array of applications, showcasing Alibaba’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of AI technology. Additionally, the company’s advancements in this domain go beyond mere technological progress; they reflect a deep-seated commitment to providing scalable AI solutions that meet the diverse needs of businesses across the globe.
Alibaba Cloud’s strengths in infrastructure and MaaS significantly contribute to its robust AI ecosystem. Specifically, these strengths enable the company to offer a vast array of services that facilitate the development, deployment, and scaling of AI models. This positions Alibaba Cloud as a valuable ally for developers and organizations keen on integrating sophisticated AI solutions into their operations. Moreover, by continually enhancing its AI offerings, Alibaba Cloud ensures it remains a pivotal player in the evolving landscape of AI technology and public cloud services.
Enhancing Cloud-Native Infrastructure
The report also highlighted Alibaba Cloud’s advances in serverless technology, which have made its cloud-native infrastructure more accessible to developers and operators. This strong focus on data and analytics signifies Alibaba Cloud’s dedication to assisting enterprise customers to effortlessly scale their operations. By excelling in serverless functions (FaaS) and container and Kubernetes services, Alibaba Cloud alleviates the complexities associated with scalable computing environments. Consequently, this has enabled developers to focus on building and deploying applications without the constant need for managing server infrastructure, thus supporting seamless integration and functionality.
In achieving perfect scores in 17 out of the 30 evaluated criteria, Alibaba Cloud has demonstrated its expertise in areas critical for modern cloud computing. These include database services, data integration, computing, IoT, storage, and AI development services. Such excellence highlights the company’s strategic vision aimed at expanding its cloud-native infrastructure and AI capabilities to cater to the increasing demands for scalable and reliable cloud products. Chief Technology Officer Jingren Zhou has underscored this commitment, emphasizing Alibaba Cloud’s ongoing efforts to pioneer advancements in AI technology and cloud infrastructure.
Strategic Expansion and Future Outlook
Launch of Qwen Models and ModelScope Community
During the Apsara Conference 2024, Alibaba Cloud unveiled a revamped full-stack infrastructure designed to support rigorous AI computing demands. The introduction of over 100 new large language models, called Qwen 2.5, to the global open-source community signifies a monumental stride in enhancing the accessibility and application of AI technologies. Since their initial release in April 2023, these Qwen models have achieved significant traction, being downloaded over 40 million times and inspiring the creation of more than 78,000 derivative models. These statistics underscore the widespread adoption and utility of Alibaba Cloud’s AI innovations in various sectors.
Additionally, Alibaba Cloud’s ModelScope has quickly become the largest AI model community in China. By hosting over 10,000 models and serving more than 8 million developers, ModelScope fortifies Alibaba Cloud’s vision of facilitating an inclusive AI ecosystem. This platform not only provides developers with a vast repository of AI models but also fosters a collaborative environment where innovations can flourish. The success of ModelScope is a testament to Alibaba Cloud’s strategic focus on empowering developers and enterprises with accessible and cutting-edge AI solutions.
Global Data Center Expansion
In a significant achievement showcasing Alibaba Cloud’s capabilities in digital technology and intelligence, the company has been recognized as a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Public Cloud Platforms Q4 2024 report. This distinction is particularly noteworthy for Alibaba Cloud, marking the first time it has received such recognition among the top public cloud platform providers. The report highlights Alibaba Cloud’s extensive global reach, robust cloud and AI offerings, and strategic vision as key factors contributing to this accolade. Additionally, Alibaba Cloud earned commendable scores, securing the second-highest positions in both the current offering and strategy categories out of nine evaluated global vendors. This milestone reflects Alibaba Cloud’s ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in the competitive public cloud market. With its strong performance and strategic foresight, Alibaba Cloud continues to make significant strides in the industry, reinforcing its position as a formidable player on the global stage.
